As an equipment to record a still image, for example, a digital still camera is widely used. Some digital still cameras include a function to attach an annotation such as a record date and a user's speach to the still image. Furthermore, as an equipment to record a dynamic image, for example, a digital movie is widely used. Some digital movies includes not only a function to record the dynamic image with a sound but also a function to attach the annotation such as the record date and a title. In above-mentioned equipment to collect multimedia information of the prior art, each kind of the multimedia information is collected. However, the process to store the multimedia information in a database, i.e., an arrangement, an editing, an extraction, a relation of the multimedia information, requires the user's help. Accordingly, the effort to create the multimedia database consumes the labor of the user.
As mentioned-above, in a multimedia information collection equipment of the prior art, each kind of the multimedia information is collected. However, in order to compose the multimedia database, the user must take the trouble to do various kinds of operation, such as the arrangement, the editing, the extraction, and the relation of the multimedia information. In short, the user's burden greatly increases to compose the multimedia database.
Accordingly, it is desired that collected multimedia information is arranged and related without the user's effort. Furthermore, a development of the technique to compose the multimedia database able to variously retrieve data is generally desired.